It’s the start of a new week. So, let’s begin with a mental workout. Here are six questions to exercise your grey cells.
Quiz Whizz: July 24, 2023
Another edition of the weekly quiz to check your knowledge of the world around you.
Archives: Articles
All in the shape
Episode 43: Hanuman learns more about aerodynamics as he listens to the story of his birth.
After listening to the various versions of the rabbit on the moon story, Hanuman tries to create a map of the world using rabbits and pebble leaves, as Vaayu watches. Hanuman then has a question.
Hanuman: How is it that Kesari is my biological father and you are my celestial father?
Vaayu: It’s a multi-layered story. Your mother, Anjana, is an incarnation of one of the apsaras from Devaloka. Due to a curse by Sage Durvasa, she was born as the daughter of King Viraj.
Hanuman: Why did Durvasa curse her?
Illustration: Sahil Upalekar
Vaayu: She was a very talented and beautiful apsara. She distracted Durvasa by moving around. So he cursed that she would be born as a monkey on Earth. Your mother pleaded with him to temper the curse. When he calmed down, he explained that he couldn’t take it back but she would be relieved from the curse once she gave birth to a very powerful being.
Hanuman: What happened next?
Vaayu: Wait! This is just the beginning. When Anjana grew up, she married Kesari, the king of Sumeru Parvat. For a long time, they didn’t have children so they prayed to me to bless them with a child.
Hanuman: So where is the science here?
Vaayu: I am coming to that. Around the time, your parents were praying to me, King Dasaratha of Ayodhya was performing the Putrakameshti yagna. At the end, Agni appeared and gave him a special pudding. He distributed it to his wives Kausalya and Kaikeyi but, as he was turning to give it to his third wife Sumitra, a bird came out of nowhere and snatched a portion of the pudding.
Hanuman: Where di a bird come from now?
Vaayu: Again, this bird was an apsara under a curse. To regain her form, she had to help in the birth of a powerful being. So, the bird took the pudding and began flying towards the Kishkindha mountains. As she got there, she began to regain the form and the pudding began to drop.
Hanuman: Oh! So, what happened next?
Vaayu: You have already learnt that everything below 85-100km gets pulled down by gravity and most items burn up during free fall in high speed.
Hanuman: Like meteors and meteorites.
Vaayu: Exactly. So, I had to create an aerodynamic shape that would ensure the pudding would land safely in Anjana’s hands without burning up.
Hanuman: Wait! How is that possible? Can you show me?
Vaayu takes a bowl of water and throws it up. As the water begins to fall, Vaayu sends a heavy gust of wind in its direction. The water takes on the form of a teardrop. Vaayu then freezes it.
Vaayu: This is one of the most aerodynamic shapes in Nature. The air molecules, our Vaayusena, create an air shield to gain that shape. (Refer Episode 3 and Episode 4) We can change the direction by changing the angle of attack.
Illustration: Satheesh Vellinezhi
Hanuman: What does angle of attack mean?
Vaayu: Angle of attack refers to the angle at which the wind hits an aerodynamic body with respect to its centre of axis or reference line.
Hanuman: And how is this applicable in the human world?
Vaayu: All aircrafts, re-entry vehicles, reusable rockets will use this idea.
Hanuman: Okay. Let’s go back to the story. What happened after the pudding fell.
Vaayu: After I got the pudding to land safely in Anjana’s hands, I told her to eat it. You know the rest.
Hanuman: What happened to Queen Sumitra?
Vaayu: The other two queens shared their portions with her.
Hanuman: Who were those children?
Vaayu: Kausalya’s son was Rama, Kaikeyi’s was Bharata and Sumitra gave birth to the twins Lakshmana and Shatrugana.
Hanuman: Can you tell me more about them?
Vaayu: You will learn in due course, Hanuman.
The author is the founder and CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, an IIT-Madras incubated ed-tech startup that offers Air Science workshops for children between five and 14 years.
Now that you have read Hanuman’s story, here is an activity for you. The flower grid below is made up of the word AEROSPACE and hides a list of 30 words that can be made from these letters. How many words can you find? Remember, these are all seven, six and five-letter words.
Spinner-in-chief
India’s brilliant victory against the West Indies in the first Test match was spearheaded by the spin antics of Ravichandran Ashwin. Read on.
The Indian cricket team is currently touring the West Indies. The first Test match that was played at Dominica between July 12 and 14 saw them putting up an impressive performance to dismantle the Windies and claim victory.
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin sent the records tumbling with his brilliant show. Scroll through these slides to learn about some records he notched up during this match.
Up, up, and away!
Scroll through this timeline to read about some important milestones in the human effort to take to the skies.
Strings of passion
A symphony in natural sound… Explore the world of acoustic instruments with this activity.
From the gentle strum of an acoustic guitar to the soul-stirring melodies of a violin, stringed acoustic instruments carry the power to evoke emotions and create musical landscapes. Stringed instruments play a vital role in acoustic music, offering versatility, melodic expression, harmonic depth, and timeless appeal. Their presence brings beauty, emotion, and a sense of musical connection to both performers and listeners alike.
Identify these instruments after you take a look at their picture
Take centre stage
Same picture, same drama and same characters. Yet, 10 differences set them apart. Can you spot them all?
Theatre holds great importance for your development and overall growth. It offers a multitude of benefits for children, nurturing their creativity, confidence, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. It ignites their imaginations, fosters personal growth, and provides them with valuable life skills that extend far beyond the stage.
Let’s play a game which needs you to observe and make notes. Look for 10 differences between two similar looking plays.
Man on the Moon
Fifty-four years ago on July 20, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon, marking a red letter day for all humankind.
Here come the Gods
Stories of the ancient Greek Gods continue to captivate even in the modern times. How well do you know your Greek myths? Find out with this activity.
The ancient Greek Gods are famous due to the enduring legacy of Greek mythology, their influence on Western culture, their diverse characteristics, and rich artistic representations. They continue to captivate and intrigue people around the world, making them an integral part of our global cultural heritage. Check out your knowledge of the Greek pantheon with this word search.
Build resilience
Fortification of one’s self and body is necessary to stay healthy. Play this game to know the need to prioritise and support our systems for overall health and well-being.
Our body needs a shield against invaders, protecting our health and for our well-being. A strong shield acts as a powerful defender, warding off illnesses and promoting overall vitality. Here is word game in which you have to guess this eight-letter word related to health.
Sudoku: July 18, 2023
In the mood for some number fun? Try your hand at this Sudoku.
Love numbers? Then this is perfect for you. Try your hand at this popular game and see if you can ace it. A Sudoku is a grid consisting of columns, rows and blocks. This is a 6*6 grid.
How to play
The objective of the game is to fill the missing digits into the grid. Use digits 1 to 6 to fill this 6×6-grid.
In each column, row and block you can use a digit only once.
Sudoku Rules
1. Each row will, upon completion, contain all of the digits from 1 to 6.
2. Each column will, upon completion, contain all of the digits from 1 to 6.
3. Each coloured block will, upon completion, contain all of the digits from 1 to 6.